Sellersville man dies in Route 309 crash

The highway also had three other collisions within two days.

Sellersville resident Michael Crean died Thursday night after a two-car accident on Route 309 in Richland Township. It was one in a series of crashes on the highway over two days.

"It's been a tough three years," said Frederick Crean, 78, whose son was killed.

In 2000, his wife, Anna, died and in 2001 his son, Frederick, died of a heart attack.

Frederick Crean is retired police chief of the West Rockhill Township department, which now is part of the Pennridge Regional Police Department.

"Nothing prepares you for this," said Crean, who has two daughters. "You don't expect your children to go before you."

The accident happened at about 10 p.m. and was the first of three accidents along Route 309 over the next few hours.

"[Crean] was traveling south on 309 and was trying to make a left onto Tollgate," said Sgt. Larry Cerami of the Richland Township Police Department.

Kathleen Verna, 38, of Winding Road, Quakertown, was traveling north and collided with Crean, 46, as he turned. She suffered a broken leg and was transported to Lehigh Valley Hospital.

"I was the first officer there," said Richland police officer Ryan Naugle. "EMS [Quakertown Fire Company and Lifestar Ambulance] was on the scene. They were going to call for a MedEvac, but wound up not using it."

Cerami said they'll perform a toxicology test on Crean.

Crean, who lived on Simmons Road, was a long-time employee of the Limeport Inn in Lehigh County. He was divorced and had no children. "He was very outgoing. He loved parties, he loved to live," his father said.

While the Richland police handled this accident, the state police dealt with two other accidents in the township on Route 309, with some assistance from the Springfield Township Police Department.

Just before midnight, there was a four-car accident just north of Reservoir Road.

According to police, Olivia Salsberry of Bethlehem was leaving a parking lot and "drove directly into the path" of a vehicle driven by Barry Awckland of Quakertown. Two other cars then collided with Salsberry and Awckland's vehicles. The names and status of the occupants in the other two cars was not made available.